The ABI 3700 is an automated capillary gel eletrophoresis
system capable of running all four sequencing reactions in a single
capillary. Because it is a capillary electrophoresis instrument, there is
no need to manually pour or load gels. Benchmarking shows length of reads as
long as 550 base pairs with 98% accuracy, depending on template and primer
quality. The 3700 is an ideal platform for sequencing PCR products less than 550
base pairs in length. It also works well for single stranded and double stranded
plasmid DNA templates. Sample loading, electrophoresis, data collection, and
data analysis has been automated to allow unattended operation. The 3700
is a capillary electrophoresis system that can be used to sequence up to 96 DNA
templates per run by accommodating up to four 96-well sample plates. A
robotic arm loads the samples onto the capillaries; and electrophoresis is
completed within five hours.